NITI Aayog releases policy report on India's school education system and roadmap for quality
On 6 May 2026 NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery and CEO Nidhi Chhibber released the report 'School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement', covering 14.71 lakh schools and over 24.69 crore students across all 36 States and UTs.
Summary
NITI Aayog's policy report 'School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement' was released on 6 May 2026 by Vice Chairman Suman Bery and CEO Nidhi Chhibber. The decade-long analysis covers access and enrolment, infrastructure, equity and inclusion, digital integration and learning outcomes for all 36 States and UTs, using secondary data from UDISE+ 2024-25, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, NAS 2017 and 2021, and ASER 2024, and inputs from a National Workshop on Quality School Education held in February 2025. It describes India's system of 14.71 lakh schools and over 24.69 crore students as the largest in the world, notes gains in infrastructure, girls' participation and SC/ST enrolment and a recovery in foundational learning after the pandemic, and identifies 11 major challenges.
Key facts
- Released
- 6 May 2026 by Suman Bery and Nidhi Chhibber
- Scale
- 14.71 lakh schools; over 24.69 crore students — largest in the world
- Data
- UDISE+ 2024-25, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, NAS 2017 & 2021, ASER 2024
- Coverage
- All 36 States and UTs
- Challenges
- 11 major challenges identified
Practice MCQs 3 questions
According to NITI Aayog's school education report of May 2026, India's school education system spans about how many schools and students?
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Correct answer: C — 14.71 lakh schools and over 24.69 crore students
The report says India's school system spans 14.71 lakh schools serving over 24.69 crore students, the largest in the world.
Consider the following statements about NITI Aayog's report 'School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement': 1. It draws on secondary data including UDISE+ 2024-25, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 and ASER 2024. 2. It is based on a fresh primary household survey conducted by NITI Aayog in 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. The report uses secondary data (UDISE+ 2024-25, PARAKH 2024, NAS 2017 and 2021, ASER 2024) and inputs from a February 2025 national workshop, not a primary household survey.
How many major challenges does NITI Aayog's May 2026 school education report identify?
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Correct answer: D — 11
Based on data analysis and stakeholder consultations, the report presents 11 major challenges.